Create a timeline that preserves missing information
A useful timeline distinguishes observed facts from estimates and labels every time zone.
The distinction that matters
Use one row for each event: request, information request, response, approval, dispatch, bank observation and follow-up. Include the source of each entry and the type of reference. If you know only when you first saw a status, say that; do not invent its transition time. Keep the original records in a private folder.
A worked example
An entry reading 'Wednesday 14:00: first saw approved; exact approval time unknown' is stronger than a falsely precise approval timestamp. The gap remains visible, so later information can resolve it without rewriting an inaccurate narrative.
Your next steps
- Put events in chronological order.
- Label observation time separately from event time.
- Use a consistent timezone or record each original zone.
- Keep uncertainties explicit and ask targeted follow-up questions.
Where this answer stops
The timeline does not establish a breach of a service standard by itself. Any comparison with a promised interval needs the applicable policy, correct starting event and relevant calendar. Northline does not adjudicate the result.
Sources & reading
Original Northline explanation. Worked examples use stated assumptions; they do not establish an operator’s policy or predict personal results. Read how we handle evidence.
An editorial review date is not a new policy effective date. Always check the current source for operator-specific conditions.
Suggest a correction